I Don't Need A Family
by RoarinTempest
Summary: In my parents eyes, me existing was just as bad as being cursed with a Jewish child. So they dropped the awesome little me off at an Italian orphanage. This is the story of my time trying to find a family that accepts me for me and how I found it.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey guys! I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but hey I've been making videos instead. Well, anyway...Enjoy! And Yeah, it's a short chapter because it's the PROLOGUE!**

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Prologue

Date: October 20th, 1940

The car drove quickly through the dimly lit street, slowing down as it entered it's destination. A small church on the border of Italy and Switzerland. Both car doors opened as soon as the car stopped. A man and a woman stepped out of the car, they both had blond hair and blue eyes. The woman was holding a bundle of cloth in her arms. In the cloth was a newborn child sleeping peacefully. The man spoke up as they walked to the doors of the chapel, "Elisa...Are you sure we should do this...?"

She quickly and harshly responded, "Of course Adel. We should at least get rid of it if you do not wish to kill the damned creature!" He sighed.

"Honey, do not talk about our son like that," Adel whispered, "and please talk softer..." Elise rolled her eyes.

"Let us just get this over with." He he rapped his fist on the door and sighed. Footsteps were heard coming from inside. She placed the baby down on the top step and whispered, "Hurry!"

They quickly got into the car and drove off as the church doors opened. Adel mumbled an apology to his son as they drove farther and farther from the church.

The nun who answered the door looked down to see a small bundle of blankets on the ground. She bent down to pick up the clothes and noticed a child. She sighed this was the second child this week. There was no note attached to this one either. The infant boy had silvery blond hair and ruby red eyes. "Let's get you inside little one." She said smiling. "But wait, you do not have a name do you? What should we call you? Hm...Gilbert perhaps? Yes. I think that will do just fine. Do not worry...Sister Andria will take good care of you. Until we find a nice family to take you in." She took a step back inside and shut the large doors.

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To be continued...? xD Review! **


	2. Six years old and AWESOME!

**A/N: Hey guys! Well, this is awkward...Anyway, Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

Date: August 9th 1946

"Alright bambinos and bambinas, please get ready while I bring in the nice people who any of you could be adopted by. They specifically asked for children instead of infants this time so all of you have a chance!" Father Dante said excitedly. The children got into two lines, one for girls and one for boys.

The boy line consisted of eight kids; Antonio, a five year old boy with brunet hair, green eyes, wearing a constant wide smile, he was left behind when his family moved away. Francis, an eight year old boy with long wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a casual smile, his parents couldn't afford to take him to America with them so they dropped him off here a few years back. Ivan, a ten year old boy with cold violet eyes and pale blond hair, wearing a scarf that hides most of his face, he was recently dropped off here at the orphanage for some reason or another. Lovino and Feliciano. Lovino is a four year old clumsy boy with brown hair, brown eyes, always having a frown plastered to his small face. Feliciano is a three year old boy with light auburn hair, bright green eyes, and a smile gracing his face. They were abandoned by their mother after their father died. Heracles, a seven year old boy with slightly tan skin and pale eyes, he just showed up at the door with amnesia. He still doesn't remember anything from his time before the orphanage. Arthur, a nine year old kid with bushy eye brows, green eyes, and blond hair, his parents were sent to live in prison for something stupid and his aunt who gained custody of him gave him up. And lastly, Gilbert with a smirk on his face. He has lived in the orphanage for all of his six years of life, every interview he's ever had with any possible parent ended badly.

The girl line had only three members; Elizaveta, a girl the same age as Ivan with long brunette hair and green eyes, her parents left her here as a baby because they were too young to get married let alone start a family, she tends to act like a boy instead of young lady. Then there's Ruari, a small girl who is Antonio's age, has red hair and hazel eyes, her family was full of drunkards so her parents gave her up so they could go buy beer instead of pay for her needs. Finally, Lilly, a shy girl around four years old, with short blond hair. Not much is known about her.

Two adults followed Father Dante into the room. One looked to be a local man while the other seemed like a Polish woman, neither of them had a wedding ring on so it's safe to say that they weren't married and possibly two kids could be leaving today. Meaning Gilbert was going to lose two friends, no he'll be losing two of his siblings. Not all of them though, he won't be the one chosen. Gilbert knew better than to actually believe he would be adopted. He also knew that neither Feliciano nor Lovino would be either. Those two were a package deal and the deal breaker was always Lovino's attitude and clumsiness. Anyway the three of them were staying for sure.

The lady looked at Arthur and her eyes lit up. "Awww...This little guy is sooo cute!" She squealed. Arthur beamed at the complement.

"Why thank you miss." He said politely, smiling.

Gilbert scoffed, stupid cocky Brit. The local spoke suddenly, "Uhhh...Father? I'd like to talk with the albino kid and the red head girl." Gilbert grinned excitedly.

Father Dante smiled, "Oh you mean Gilbert and Ruari? Go right ahead. Which one would you like to talk to first?"

"Uhhm...The girl first I guess..." He mumbled.

At this Gilbert pouted. He knew how this is going to end. The man will end up instantly adoring Ruari and Gilbert won't even have a chance to show him how awesome he was. He knew better, but it still hurt.

"Okay, come on now Ruari, it's time for an interview!" The priest said encouragingly. Ruari nodded and followed Father Dante and Mr. Local into the interview room.

A nun walked in and asked the woman if she would like to talk to one of the children, "Sure! Can I talk to that adorable little one over there?" she replied pointing to Arthur. Said Brit smiled politely, Gilbert seethed as they walked into the other room.

"Gah... Why does this always happen?" He groaned. "I'm way too awesome to be unadoptable... right?"

"Err...Gilbo?" Antonio mumbled.

"Yeah Tonio?"

"Try thinking on the bright side! I mean...You could get adopted if Ruari doesn't, right?" Antonio said sheepishly.

The door to the interview room opened and both Ruari and Mr. Local walked out of the church.

Gilbert frowned, "See? I'm never going to be adopted because I'm always the second choice! I know I'm awesome and so does everybody who gets to know me, but the thing is no one _wants_ to get to know me!" He shouted.

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**To be continued...? Please review dudes! xD**


	3. Another Year Here

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, just started school on Thursday so I've been kind of busy. Hopefully you guys like this chapter! R&R! xD

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Chapter 2

Date: October 20th, 1946.

"Hey Lizzy, you up yet?" Gilbert asked from the bottom bunk that he shared with Antonio. There was a soft ruffling sound as Elizaveta rolled over in her sleep. "So is that a no...? Eh...Whatever...Tonio you awake?" He said nudging his friend. No response. "I guess the awesome me needs to go back to sleep then...It's too early anyway..." He mumbled as he tried to fall asleep again, but Arthur started murmuring something from his cot all the way across the room that caught his interest. "Huh...? Brit?"

"Wh-what do you want wanker?" The British boy replied nervously.

"Just wondering about what you're doing. The awesome me can do that after all. It's my right," Gilbert grinned happily, "Do you know why?"

After several moments of Arthur thinking he responded, "Today's your birthday isn't it? I hope you know that the longer you're here the less people will want you."

"You don't know that! And yes, Brit, today is my birthday." He frowned, that jerk was ruining his birthday already before anyone else was even up yet!

"I know more than you think deutschbag. The only boys here who have a chance these days are that damned soviet, the cross-dressing duo, and the amnesiac." He said with a spiteful look, "Now leave me alone brat."

The room grew quiet as the angry English boy turned over to go back to sleep. Gilbert nudged Antonio again, just a little bit harder and got a startled cry as a response from the previously sleeping brunet. "Wah! Oh Gil, it's you!" Antonio smiled.

"Hey Tonio, why haven't Lizzy, Frenchie, you, and me been adopted yet? I mean...We've been here for years! There should be families that want us already!" Gilbert shouted, waking the one of the younger boys and Ivan.

"Be quiet you potato jerk!" Lovino growled. "We need our sleep, meanie..." His little brother was still snuggled close next to him, snoring peacefully.

"Oh Lovi~ You're up!" Antonio beamed happily and jumped up to go hug the little Italian boy. Lovino scowled and tried futilely to push the older boy off of him.

"G-get off of me you stupid tomato!" Antonio ignored the smaller child and continued crushing him with love. Until the noise they were making woke all of the others up and Elizaveta intervened pulling Antonio off the year younger Italian as the quiet Russian boy watched from his bunk. Antonio pouted while attempting to struggle out of Elizaveta's grasp and Lovino scowled, crawling back into his bed.

Elizaveta sighed, "Alright, what's going on here?"

Antonio shrugged, faking that he knew nothing of the situation. Lovino glared at Gilbert, who was then glared at by Elizaveta. She had a feeling this had something to do with the young albino. She went to her bed and reached under her mattress to get a bundle of rope. "What?" Gilbert paled. If he knew the Hungarian, he was absolutely doomed.

**To be continued...hopefully...xD Review Please!**


	4. Worst Birthday Ever

**A/N: Yay! Aw...never mind. Anyone who is this far in the story gets a hug~! People who review get cookies and people who review and favorite get donuts! xD Well, thanks guys! I love you all!

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Chapter 3

Date: October 20th, 1946

Ivan and Elizaveta were carrying a tied up, squirming, Gilbert across a field while all of the other children followed. Some, like Feliciano and Antonio were following close behind asking what they are going to do to Gilbert and for them not to hurt him. Others, such as Lovino and Arthur were also following close to the two ten year-olds, but were yelling suggestions of what to do with Gilbert, most of which involved pain.

It was coming close to midday now, they have been walking for hours. Well...mostly walking during that time, except for whenever they were passing a sunflower field Ivan stopped to admire them for a few minutes. For a little while Gilbert stopped struggling and Antonio assumed he was dead. The little Spaniard cried and Elizaveta paused to ask him what is wrong, he sniffled, "I-is Gilbo d-dead...?" It took some time to explain to him that Gilbert was just sleeping and then they were on their way again.

Gilbert eventually woke up and made a noise that was muffled by the cloth that was covering his mouth. Lovino pointed to a small pond in the distance and yelled, "Let's drop him in the lake!" Gilbert's eyes widened as Ivan and Elizaveta nodded, they were actually agreeing with the cranky Italian's plan! Antonio and Francis protested.

"Gil can't swim and you bullies know that!" Antonio shouted attempting to pull Gilbert down from their arms, terrified for his pal's well-being.

Elizaveta frowned starting to reconsider her thoughts of harming Gilbert, while Ivan's smile stayed on his face, not at all caring.

"A-and not even you can swim if you are tied up!" Francis tried to persuade Ivan.

"Your point?" The bored Russian responded still walking.

Elizaveta stopped, which in turn made Ivan stop, "Ivan...I think Gilbert has learned his lesson by now. Right Gilbo?" She looked over to see Gilbert nod enthusiastically.

Lovino pouted, Antonio gleamed and high-fived Francis, Arthur smiled seeing Gilbert actually learned something, Ivan shrugged, "Okay Eliza." He said, dropping the part of the German, which happened to be his feet, on the ground.

The rope around his feet was poorly tied that when they hit the ground it slid off fairly easily. He stood up and almost fell over, his legs were numb from lack of use and most of his blood was flooded to his head during the way there. He loosened the bindings around his hands and dropped it. Using his hands he untied the cloth that was covering his mouth and scowled. "I am so glad that I got to spend my birthday like this. Thanks a bunch guys. _Thanks_. _A_. _Bunch_." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, anger, and sadness.

Antonio's, Francis's, Feliciano, Lilly's, Heracles's, and Elizaveta's eyes grew wide. They forgot, _but of course_ they forgot! Gilbert gave one last glance towards them and what he saw angered him. Ivan, Arthur, and Lovino were smiling. "Gil-" Elizaveta was stopped short when Gilbert turned away and started to run, tears falling from his face.

"Go to hell!" Was Gilbert's response as he sprinted off, crying.

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**A/N: Poor Gilly... :[ Reviews encourage more chapters!**


	5. A Place To Rest?

**A/N: Hey guys! The second week of school is over! And I have time to write again! xD So...Yeah R&R please!

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Chapter 4

October 21st 1946

The sun eased over the sky as Gilbert trudged tiredly along the road. The night before, Gilbert hadn't eaten, slept, or even stopped walking. In the distance he sees a small city. It's Fermato il Tempo, the place where the majority of the adults who come to the church to adopt are from. Meaning, he might run into a friend, an ex-sibling, or maybe find a family. No. He most certainly was not looking for any of those. Being alone is just fine with him. A place to stay is all he's trying to find, he needs to find a sanctuary, a church.

The closer to Fermato il Tempo he get the more dangerous the road is. Muggers, speeders, drunkards, and weird strangers wandered the outskirts of the town. Only about an hour's walk into town did it take for him to reach it's bustling center, the cathedral.

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Antonio yawned, his happy expression long gone and replaced with one of worry and sleeplessness. The dark circles forming around his eyes are proof of how tough the last night had been for the small boy. Francis is sitting right next to him, his condition not much better than the Spaniard's. Elizaveta paced across from them, thoroughly bothering a certain English boy.

"Don't worry Francis, Toni, Gil will come home soon," Elizaveta said reassuringly though she wasn't too sure herself. Angering the fun loving albino was usually a fairly simple task, but normally he would forgive and forget within minutes. This time was different, he was hurt. Not his pride or his physical being, but his heart.

The looks of hope that glimmered on their faces made Arthur want to puke. He gave a skeptical look and scoffed, "As if. He left and he's not coming back. Accept that and get on with your lives." Elizaveta glared at him.

"Stop it Arthur." She demanded. If looks could kill, Arthur would be six feet under. "They'll have him found by tonight! I'm sure of it!"

With a roll of his eyes he responded, "I say we're better off without that stupid urchin and I assure you he is gone for good." As he finished that sentence Elizaveta backhanded him across the face, successfully shutting him up.

Heracles woke at the sound of the slap and looked around sleepily before asking, "What was that...?" Arthur just stood there, rubbing his sore cheek, frowning. He sat up, confused. "...Is brother Gilbert back yet...?" No response.

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The large doors of the cathedral opened, revealing the long hallway with the chapel room at the end, no orphanage, and the Sunday school class room empty. The rather youthful Father of the church was just getting ready to turn in for the night and the novices had all returned home. Gilbert walked into the building, startling the priest. "Ciao bambino!" He says with a smile, "Now what are you doing here little one? Are you lost?" Gilbert shakes his head, the Father looks puzzled for a moment and then speaks, "Not lost, but a run away, huh?" To this Gilbert nods.

Father introduces himself as Father Distretto, the priest of Fermato il Tempo's chapel. He asks Gilbert simple questions, such as his name, age, favorite color, etc, but as the time goes on the questions get more difficult until finally he asks where Gilbert came from. The young albino doesn't reply to that one, knowing fully what will happen when he tells Father D where he lived. The Father asks again, the same result follows. Sighing, Distretto walked over to the telephone and dialed, "Hey Dante, I found another lost kid, he won't tell me where he's from either." The little albino's eyes widened recognizing that name immediately. "Yeah, I'll bring him over right now. Expect us there in about an hour."

Before the Father Distretto could hang up, Gilbert ran off. "So much for a place to stay tonight..." He muttered.

**To be continued~ **


	6. Does the Stranger Danger rule apply?

**A/N: Yeah, sorry about updating twice in the same day. I would like to say thanks to Tea-PartyCrasher**, **PurpleLeopard, Hokuto Uchiha, and to everyone else who reviewed for reviewing! I love reading your reviews! It just makes me sooo happy! I love all of you guys who read this too!

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**Chapter 5**

**October 21, 1946**

Gilbert sprinted down the street, zigzagging through the crowd. Careful not to run into anyone, but fast enough to stay out of Father Distretto's view. Sleep was on his mind though and soon enough he was slowing down. His small lungs burning and legs hurting from overuse. Oxygen-filled blood wasn't getting to his head quick enough and the little albino became dizzy and tripped over a rock and into a tall, brown haired, Italian man with slight stubble on his chin and several curls and cowlicks on his head.

"Oww! Oh...Uhm...Sorry Mister...Uh..." Gilbert said trying to stand back up. Not a good idea his ankle was sprained, he winced in pain.

"Mr. Vargas, but please call me Leo," The tall local smiled, but then his expression changed to a look of concern, "You okay kiddo? What were you running from?" When Gilbert didn't reply right away the man checked to see if he was still listening, "...Kiddo?" He extended a hand out, offering help to the young German, who took it gratefully.

"Ja, I'm fine and I wasn't running from anything, I was just getting a head start home." The lie was small, but even simple things can be screwed up majorly. A tall blond man with long hair stood next to the nice-guy-Italian, his face had a look of indifference stuck on it. Mr. Braid as Gilbert affectionately dubbed him, did not buy it for a second.

Leo grinned and said in his thick Italian accent, "This is my great pal, Drew Beilschmidt. He's kind of a drag to hang with but hey no one's perfect, right? Oh and that's his little grandson on his shoulders. Isn't little Ludwig cute~?" Gilbert nodded in agreement trying to stand on his own but not being successful and ended up falling over. "Easy there Bianco, I don't think you'll be able to go anywhere with your ankle twisted like that." He said, picking Gilbert up, "So what's your name little white?"

"Gilbert. No last name, just Gilbert."

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Father Dante entered the orphans' room with a bright expression on his middle-aged face. "Children, I have wonderful news! I think Father Distretto has found our missing bambino! They should be here by dinner." His smile was laced through his words as well on his face.

"_Fantastic_." Arthur's statement dripped with sarcasm. Having never been fond of the German twit and being positive that the feeling was mutual, he was not happy that the boy was returning home so soon. If he could consider this place his home. Which he didn't, it's just a place that he shouldn't be in.

Ivan's terrifyingly cold smile stayed ever unchanged as he spoke softly, "Comrade Gilbert is coming home so soon? Well, we should prepare something for him, da?"

Lovino grinned maliciously at Ivan's words, seeing his real meaning behind them and responded, "Si, that is a very, _very_ good plan, Commie."

**To be continued~!**

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**A/N: Ivan and Lovi are starting to scare me...Sorry 'bout the short chapter. I'll try for longer! **


	7. Nope It Doesn't

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it! And no this isn't the last chapter! There will be more!

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Chapter 6

Dates: October 21, 1946

"What do you mean you don't know the way home? How did you suppose you'd get there?" Leo asked, extremely confused, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand.

Gilbert's reply was quick and barely audible, "I wasn't."

"Okay spill the beans kid, why don't you want to go home?" Mr. Vargas said, making Gilbert squirm in an attempt to escape.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted, trying to break from Leonardo's grasp. Leo tightened his hold, "I don't have one! Okay?" He began to sob, "Justpleasedon'tdropmeoffatthechurch!Th-they're-!"

The Italian frowned, not liking the crying that little Gilbert was doing, "Whoa whoa whoa. Gil, calm down!" The tears continued none the less until several moments after Gilbert had been placed back down and Ludwig had climbed down from his grandfather's shoulders to hug the older boy. Leo smiled at the sight, "So cute~!" Earning him a glare from the three year old's grandpa. "Okay Gilbert, repeat what you said earlier, but not so fast and no crying this time, okay?" Gilbert nodded slowly, rubbing his burning eyes.

"Don't leave me at the church Mr. Vargas...They're going to send me back to the horrible place that I ran from! I'm sure of it!" Gilbert repeated, not being careful enough to repeat the exact words.

"Shhh...Don't worry Bianco, no one said anything about leaving you," Leonardo said patting Gilbert's head reassuringly. Ludwig hugged Gilbert even tighter, making Drew raise an eyebrow. Ludwig normally wasn't so affectionate towards strangers.

"Ich werde Sie schützen...Bruder..." The small blond mumbles into the hug.

"Oh and I forgot to mention that this little blondy can't speak a lick of anything except German, and very simple phrases at that. We're trying to teach him Italian and English, but well...He doesn't quite grasp even the simplest concepts yet." Mr. Vargas grinned, "Anyway we should be getting home, want to stay the night with us?" Gilbert nodded furiously, a small smile on his face. He finally found an awesome family.

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"Ve~ Is Gilly coming home soon?" Feliciano whined, causing his brother to roll his eyes.

"Si Fratello, the potato jerk should be here any moment." The older sibling said before turning over to Ivan, "'Ey Commie, is the "welcome" ready yet?"

The tall boy turned around from what he was doing by the door to answer, "Da, just finished. I think Comrade Gilbert will really like it too." Behind him on the door was a sign that said 'Welcome Home Gil!' on it.

Elizaveta, who was leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Is that all you two were planning?" With a nod from both Ivan and Lovino, she smiles, "That's so nice of you guys! I'm sure he'll love it!" '_Or shrug it off like it's nothing,'_ she added in her mind, '_Wait...If I know those two, and I do. Or...Well...At least I know Lovi. They __wouldn't do anything nice for anyone without being forced. Especially for Gilbert.' _"What's the catch...?" She asked.

"Huh? Catch? What do you mean 'catch'?"Ivan asked, feigning puzzlement.

Lovino jumped up defensively and shouted, "There is no catch! Gah! Lizzy, how could you think such a thing? We are just welcoming the stupid potato home!"

"Oh really?" She questioned, "Okay then, HEY TONI! COME IN HERE! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!" The sound of footsteps running up the stairs only lasted seconds before Antonio was stepping into the room. With that first step, caused the real thing that Ivan had been building to go off, pulling the poor Spaniard into the air by his left foot. Antonio let out a startled cry before Ivan cut him loose. "So _this_ is what you two call an apology?" She sighed.

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To be continued~!**


	8. Always Feelin' Awesome

**A/N: Yeah, Finally we move on to a new date! xD For all of you who are still reading this I must say thank you. xD I love all of you!**

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Chapter 7

Date: October 20th 1948

Gilbert glared at the ceiling of his completely private room. This room had been the one he had slept in for the last year and a half. The first six months he spent sleeping with little Ludwig snuggled up next to him. Before Drew and Leo moved the four of them into a larger house a little farther outside of the city, but not far enough to avoid neighbors.

Over the past two years Gilbert had been legally adopted by Leonardo Vargas. The pale skinned albino had wondered from time to time what had happened to the other children. In his pondering he often thought that all of them could have been adopted. Though some of them he doubts would be. His memory of that day reminded him that each would have more than one reason not to be adoptable. For one, perhaps the insane soviet would have pulled a gun on a family and was dragged away by the cops. No no, if that had happened he would have read about it by now.

He could picture each of them and how their lives have turned out so far. Or at least what his mind had created of their lives. Having not even the slightest bit of contact with his fellow orphans until recently, his memories was all he could go on for most of them except for _her_. The event had been repeating itself in his mind since it happened.

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_Date: October 1__st__ 1948_

_Gilbert had just gotten home from school when he saw her. He blinked to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. He wasn't. She was talking to Roderich Edelstein, a ten year old snob of a boy and Gilbert's neighbor. The thought of her around frightened Gilbert. After she finished chatting to the up tight jerk, she turned around. Their eyes met, Gilbert's wide with fear, while her green eyes wide with shock and disbelief._

"_Oh my G-! Gil...? Is that you?"_

"_Ja, it's me Lizzy. Why do you seem so surprised to see me?" He responded, his eyes no longer showing shock._

"_Gil...Everyone assumed you were dead..." Her expression changed to anger, "Why the hell didn't you come back? You're alive aren't you? You could have at least wrote! You goddamned bastard!" And then she ran off, leaving Gilbert speechless and the Austrian boy who had been talking to Elizaveta glaring daggers at him._

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"Well at least Eli is doing fine..." He muttered, "But...What happened to my buds and the opposite duo? Are they still there? I sure as hell hope not...Gah...This is stupid...Someone as awesome as me shouldn't think like this on their birthday." A few hours had passed in silence until he heard Ludwig tumble off his bed in the next room. It signaled that it was finally time to get up, seven O'clock in the morning.

Walking down the stairs Gilbert grins, picks up a muffin and says, "Hey Vati, hey Dad! I'm going to go hang with my friends! I'll be out for a while!"

"Oh? Which friends are so important that you can't spend your special day with your family?" Leo teased, "Oh never mind kiddo, just go. We'll see you later birthday boy~!" And with that he kissed the nine year old's forehead and sent him out the door.

**Might be continued if people want it! **


	9. Reunion Time

**A/N: Hey thar dudes! You guys make my day so much that I wrote another chapter.

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Chapter 8

Date: October 20th 1948

The small bike zoomed down the road, going around ten miles per hour. Speeding past the people walking along the road. Two hours had passed before he came around the chapel, braking just before the door. He paused, why was he doing this again...? Oh does it matter? Gilbert reached his hand out to grab the doorknob, twisted and pulled it open before walking inside. "Hey! I'm back!" He said, wandering the church. A boy, slightly taller than Gilbert walked up to him, his eyes closed.

When he opened them a look of shock was written on his face, but turned into a great big grin. "Gilbo?" He asked, unsure if this was just another albino boy and not the Gilbert he had become friends with.

"Yup, it's me. And you better be Tonio because if Lovi grew taller than me, then he wouldn't be breathing." The platinum blond said with a laugh, "So, who else still lives here? I know Lizzy has a family a bit south of here, but who else got adopted?"

Antonio frowned, not liking the topic of his friends leaving, "Heracles, Lilly, and the boy that showed up after you left, Sadiq I believe his name is all left since you disappeared. What happened anyway? Father Dante got a call from some other priest saying that they found you and that they were bringing home later that night, but you never showed..."

Gilbert shrugged, "Beats me, maybe I just wanted some freedom for once, and I found a family that wanted me. I'm Gilbert Vargas-Beilschmidt now," He said, rubbing the back of his head. "I even have an awesome baby brother who I call West!"

Antonio's face fell farther, "W-wait...You didn't come here to come back home...You came here to say good-bye didn't you...?" Tears streamed down the over emotional Spaniard's cheeks.

"Wh-what? No! I'm here to...to...visit..." The words didn't sound right, like lies. "We're bruders forever Tonio! I couldn't leave you or any of the others, except for Arthur and Ivan, those two aren't nice enough to be friends with this awesomeness!" He tried, hoping the joke would make the lies more believable. He strode up to the brunet and hugged him tightly, softly repeating the words he heard from Ludwig, "Ich werde Sie schützen...Bruder..."

Arthur, the eleven year old, cocky, British, asshole walked over, "Aw, isn't that _cute_? Two stupid, incompetent fags hugging. So _cute_ it makes me want to gag." He said, pointing a finger towards his open mouth as if to say 'gag me'.

"Hey brows, go die." Gilbert said in an indifferent tone. He saw Ivan materialize out of the woodwork.

"Kolkolkolkolkol...So our little comrade has returned, da?" His voice cold yet still childlike, "You are ready for warm welcome, da?" He grabbed Gilbert's arm and started to drag him away.

"What the? Let go of me you fucking soviet!" He screamed, a lot of things had changed over the past couple of years, especially Gilbert's colorful vocabulary, but one thing certainly did not. The Russian was still stronger and larger than the street-smart German.

Lovino skulked out of the shadows and said to the pale haired boy before slapping him clear across the face, "_Welcome home Gilbert,_"

**To be continued~ I love you guys too much not to add more chapters.**


	10. Confusion

**A/N: I think you guys might like this chapter. Hopefully at least.

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Chapter 9

Date: October 20th 1948

"Good morning Bruder!" Ludwig said cheerfully as he entered his brother's room with his eyes closed.

Looking around, one could obviously tell the red-eyed boy had been in here recently, but was no longer. His room was in the exact state he woke up with it in, an organized mess. His books were strewn across the floor, his bed, which hung above an olive couch in a loft, was wrinkled and unmade, and his clothes piled into a mountain on his couch. It all had a very Gilbert-y touch.

Seeing his brother wasn't in the room, he left confused. Wandering downstairs he found his grandfather sitting at the table, reading the paper and eating wurst. "Guten Morgen, Vati...Where's Gil?"

The braided man sighed, "No clue son," he glanced over towards the tall Italian man napping on the couch, "LEO! Where's the boy?" He shouted. The sound startled the brunet from his sleep, off of the soft couch. and on to the cold floor.

"Huh..?" He yawned, sleepily taking in his surroundings, "What the—Drew? What do ya want?" The agitation from being woken clear in his baritone voice.

"Where did your boy run off to this time?"

"Hm...Where did little East go again? Oh yeah, now I remember, he went to one of his friends' houses. Dunno which one though...Can I go back to sleep now?" Drew nodded.

Ludwig smiled, he knew where Gilbert was. Mattie's house. He ran to the door before saying "Vater! I'm going out!" then sprinted as fast as his tiny legs could carry him out the door and down the road.

* * *

After a short while of listening to Lovino's ranting, he figured out several things; One, the small Italian's vocabulary had also broadened. Two, he was still taller than the younger child. Three, Father Dante had left with Feliciano, Francis, and the new boy from Scottland, Finnick, to go to an art show in the town just north of this church. And four, the little boy's anger had diminished over the years, but just wanted to mess with him for not bothering to even once contact them until now.

"Lovi~! You still need to say sorry to Gilbo!" Antonio said in a happy voice, "Or do I have to get Francis to help me _convince_ you?" Lovino shuddered, remembering in the past when the blond had to 'convince' him of something else.

"Tch. Sorry you stupid potato, I didn't mean to make you run off back then, but that slap was for not writing. You jerk. We all thought you were dead. Not that I cared, but...It really saddened Fratello. And I don't like that." Lovino sighed, "Anyway, welcome home you bastard."

Ivan let go of Gilbert's arms and pulled him into a bear hug while Arthur let out a groan, "Yeah welcome home, wanker. Not that you're staying long."

**To be continued, at reader's digression. xD R&R **


	11. The Promise

**A/N: Hey thar guys! I got this chapter up~! I love all of you!**

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Chapter 10

Date: October 20th, 1948

The five year old boy rushed down the crowded streets of Fermato il Tempo towards a large building. It was a year ago that Gilbert and him had learned that it was a school that housed students who came from overseas to learn more about European culture and get a higher education. That was what Alfred Jones and Matthew Williams were, foreigners who speak fluent English and several other languages. Alfred, the older and more recent student from a wealthy family, could speak Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and French without even trying, but he kept confusing Italian words with Spanish ones. Though he couldn't speak any German he had been the one to teach Ludwig English. Matthew or Mattie, as Gilbert and Alfred referred to him was about three months younger than the American and had been living at the boarding school ever since he was six, he turned ten four weeks ago, was able to speak French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian without a single problem. He became friends with Gilbert rather quickly, unlike the older boy who was completely against making friends with 'Nazis' as he called the two German boys. It didn't take long for the blond with a cowlick had begun to trust the other children.

By the time Ludwig got there, it was lunch brake for the roommates and they were waiting around in the commons, Matt was holding a piece of cake with a candle sticking out of it. Al grinned and asked, " Hey Mattie~? Gil's not gonna show! Can I please have that cake...? Please...?" Alfred pouted, he had a great love of cake and sweets.

"N-no...This is Gilly's slice!" Was the high pitched whine of a response that came from the Canadian.

Ludwig looked around the two students, no Gilbert, he turned around and sighed starting his trek back home. "Where else would Bruder have gone...? Not school, he wouldn't go on his birthday..."

* * *

The room grew quiet after Arthur made that statement, Antonio started crying softly, startling both Lovino who pretended not to care, and Gilbert who rushed over to the Spaniard's side to comfort him.

"Don't worry Tonio! I'm sure I can figure something out that we all can be together awesomely!" Gilbert said, trying to be positive for the brunet's sake. He thought for a moment hoping that there could be a way.

Lovino frowned and spoke slowly and quietly, "Gilbert...We missed you, a lot. But I'm sure Tony missed you more than anyone, he didn't give up hope on you, bastard." He paused to sigh, "So don't give up hope on us either. That's all I had to say." He backed up and smiled, extending his hand.

Gilbert took it with a friendly shake and said with a smile, "Te lo prometto, il mio piccolo fratello. " Lovino smirked, the albino finally spoke in Italian towards him instead of that awful German.

Lovino knew what happened to his father, he was killed in the War. They reminded her of her husband. That was the reason why Feliciano and him were left here. So she didn't have to remember him. That was what was written on the note he had pinned to him when he showed up. That was why he disliked the German boy, Germans made him live this way by killing his father. Why should he like or trust them? He nodded and said, "Good, now if you let us down, I won't have to forgive you."

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**To be continued, if you guys want it to! R&R!

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Translation - **Te lo prometto, il mio piccolo fratello = I promise, my little brother.


	12. Will it be kept?

**A/n: Hey guys. It's the next chapter already! Well...Uhm...Some new characters have joined the mix! Enjoy! R&R

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Chapter 11

Date: October 24th, 1948

The rest of the week went by quickly. Gilbert sighed, it was Sunday, the the day he told the others he would be back with a plan. He had one, but it involved asking his parents to adopt more kids, or having his parents ask their friends. It could work, just not likely. Though, it was definitely worth a try.

"Dad! I need to ask you something!" Gilbert yelled from his room. He heard footsteps as Leo walked up the stairs and into his room.

"Yeah kiddo? What do ya need so early in the morning?" The man asked with a yawn.

"Dad, can I have a few more brothers?" The little white-haired boy replied hopefully.

Leo scratched his head, slightly confused by the question, " Oh uh...kid, I dunno. You and Ludwig are quite the handful already...Plus, how the hell are we supposed to get more children? In case you haven't noticed, Drew and I are both men. The only way would be to adopt..." He sighed, trying to explain to the nine year old that it would be incredibly difficult to get another child.

Gilbert grinned, "Okay then, can you adopt a few brothers please?"

"Ehhh? How many is a few Gil?"

"Just four!" Gilbert said enthusiastically.

If Leo was drinking coffee, he would have done a spit take. "F-four? What the-? No way in hell kid."

"But...but Dad! I need to help out my friends! Please! I swear they'll behave! I made a promise!"

"Okay kid...Okay. Just don't cry." Leo sighed, he was going to regret this, "Now which orphanage are they at? And if we need to, we can get Drew's friends' help to help out any other kids. C'mon, let's go get Mister Baltia and Mister Welsh."

* * *

It was midday by the time the Vargas-Beilschmit family had finished church and grocery shopping and had just left for the Orphanage. Ludwig and Drew had absolutely no clue where they were going and Leonardo wasn't going to tell them. In the car behind them was the Baltia family; Alek, the father. Eduard, the eldest brother. Toris, the middle child. And Raivis, the youngest.

In the van behind them was the Welsh Family; Miles, the single father of two. Adair, the older brother with a sick sense of humor and bronze hair. And Fiona, a small girl with very little worries and fiery red hair.

"Hey Daddyo! Are we there yet? I wanna meet my new brother!" Adair shouted obnoxiously from his seat in the back. '_And to break him in!' _He added in his devious mind. There was a reason as to why he had to sit in the back and not the middle, he was a kicker, and would pound his feet against the seat in front of him to get what he wants. Since he was at the age of eleven, he should have out grown that ridiculous habit by now, but alas he had not. In fact it got worse, so as to keep him from kicking anything, they took out the right middle seat and assigned him the right last chair forever.

Miles groaned, "Yes 'Dair, we're there." The van slowly came to a stop as the eleven year old boy stood up and opened the door with a fairly loud 'WOO!'.

* * *

As the three families walked in, Father Dante's smile grew wide, "Well if this isn't a pleasant surprise! Are you all looking to adopt?" Drew sent Leo a dirty look, while the other adults nodded. "Ah, this is perfect! The children will be so excited!" And with that he went into the room that Gilbert knew so very well. A few minutes later and the middle aged priest opened the door, "Come in!"

**To be continued**


	13. Separate Ways

**A/N: Hey guys, no this is not the last chapter, there will be a few more after this one.

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**Chapter 12

Date: October 24th 1948

Behind the door were nine children. All of them were male and they stood in a single file line by their height. Shortest on the left, tallest on the very right. There were three that Gilbert did not recognize. Two seemed to be brothers, one short and indifferent with neatly trimmed hair, the other almost was Ivan's height with a sad smile on his face and long black hair tied back with a hair tie. Those boys must have been added to the group over the week. The last one, the boy with light brownish-red hair and blue eyes was probably Finnick, the Scotsman who came here after the albino left.

And so the routine began, just as Gilbert had remembered it. Father Dante asked each parent which child they would like to interview while the boys chattered amongst themselves. Gilbert squirmed his way over to the bunch with his little brother, who was grasping his hand tightly. "Bruder...Where are we?" Ludwig asked, completely confused.

"Shh...West, I'll tell you later, 'kay? Right now big bro is busy." Gilbert shushed him off as Antonio pulled him into a hug and Lovino chuckled.

"Heh, so you were able to after all... Wait, what's with the numerous adults? Aren't we all going to live together?" The older Italian boy asked with disappointment.

Gilbert shifted awkwardly, looking down in the process. He spoke, his eyes never leaving the floor, "I should have told you all this before, but there would have been no way to even consider getting any single adult or one family to even possibly think about adopting all of us...er...all of you...S-sorry..."

"Figures," Arthur mumbled, not even trying to sound slightly surprised, "At least you followed through with some of your promise. Thanks for that...Sorry that we couldn't have been brothers."

The talking amongst the children stopped as Father Dante spoke out, "So, you men want to adopt the rest of our precious bambinos? That's perfectly fine with me, just as long as you take good care of them. These kids are like my own children, so if you even as much as abandon them even once, pray god have mercy on your soul. Okay, you may now choose which boys to take home with you. Please no fighting, and try to match life styles with them. Just to make you and them comfortable adjusting to their new lives." Dante said this knowing that even though these children were gone, there would be a new batch just around the corner.

Mister Welsh was the first one to decide which children his family would be most happy with. The three boys that his son and daughter got along with the most; Arthur, the Brit was very happy with his new siblings. Kiku, the small Asian boy with short hair, he almost smiled when he got picked, then realized that his big brother didn't. Then there was Finnick, the boy with the large gray eyes and the bronze hair, he grinned happily at the thought of having another family.

The Baltia's were the next to figure out who belonged in their tightly knit family. There was only one boy, he got along great with Toris and Raivis, but Eduard wasn't too happy with him. It was Ivan, the oldest of the bunch. He smiled, seeing that the other boys were kind to him, not out of fear, but to just be kind. But, Alek thought another kid would be a real help around the house, so he chose Yao, the Chinese boy with long black hair tied in a ponytail.

And then there were four boys left. The last group was the closest of all of them, they were also the closest to Gilbert, which made him feel relieved when he saw that it was them who would join his family. Drew frowned, four more mouths to feed. Leo grinned and said, "C'mon boys it's time to come home. You're all Vargas-Beilschmidts now and school starts next week for you guys. So let's fix you up some rooms in your new home." The two Italian brothers smiled, Antonio grinned, and Francis smirked. They had a family and now they have a complete family. Drew's eye twitched. What did he just agree to?

**To be continued... (hopefully)**

**R&R My fellow APH fans! R&R!**


	14. Holidays anyone?

**A/N: Hey! Well I told you the end is close, but not here yet. So expect a few more chapters. xD I love you guys and you have all been so supportive! Cookies to all of you! Thanks for reading and enjoying my fanfic. But as I have said, it is not over yet.

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Chapter 13

Date: December 24th, 1953

"Hurry Gil! We need to get presents for our Secret Santa gift swap!" Antonio shouted from outside Gilbert's room.

They had chosen to wait until the very last day to buy their gifts for the trade off. All of the previous orphans had stayed close over the years, except Ivan's family moved back to their old home is the Soviet country four two years back. He still wrote to the younger boys, stating that he was moving back for college when Toris was also old enough to go as well, which would be early next year.

Gilbert's two pals from the boarding school had taken well to the new addition to the group. Though Matthew was ignored, or unseen quiet regularly by most of the other children. Gilbert and Francis never forgot about Mattie, nor did they mistake him for his roommate. Alfred fell in love with a certain young Brit, who is now currently in his pirate stage. Though Mattie and Al were going home in approximately three more years.

As soon as Elizaveta had graduated from school she had run off with Roderich. They ended up moving to America to elope, soon after Eliza gave birth to a small boy with pale gray eyes and dark hair named Christopher Edelstein. Or at least that was what Roderich wrote back to his parents. They gave Sadiq the letters, he needed to keep tabs on his older sister.

The secret Santa thing was Alfred's idea. He said it was an American tradition where friends pick name out of a hat and don't tell anyone who they got while managing to get the one chosen a special gift. Most of the children kept to that rule, except for Finnick and Adair who had each other and wanted to give the gift as soon as they had gotten it.

A grunt was heard from behind the fourteen year old boy's room, he had just woken up. Five minutes before noon too. The albino had become a slacking teenager, not even waking up early on Christmas Eve. Stomping sounds followed by the knob twisting were all Antonio could hear.

"So, we're going to Germany for shopping, right?" The platinum blond asked as he opened the door.

Antonio grinned, Gilbert had remembered their plan. They were to take the train to Germany and get their gifts. Gilbert was shopping for someone special, his sibling that had never even seen snow once, Lovino. The others had all been up north one time or another. After they shopped they were supposed to go home immediately. "Yup that's right Gilbo! Bet you can't wait to see snow again! I sure can't!"

"Ja Tonio, can't wait." Gilbert laughed, this would be the first time either of them had crossed the boarders of Italy, Switzerland, and Germany by themselves. "I'll race ya."

The brunet thirteen year old boy ran down the stairs with Gilbert and shouted, "Hey Papà! We're leaving! Be back around Nine-ish!"

**To be continued.

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A/N: Does anyone want a sad ending out there? Just wonderin' R&R**


	15. Presents

**A/N: Yeah, I know I should probably wait to post another chapter, but hey, why wait?

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Chapter 14

Date: December 24th 1953

The train ride was long and uneventful, but somehow worth it. The scenery was fantastic, snow blanketed the ground, icicles hung from the roofs of many homes, and the ponds were covered in thick enough ice that you could walk on it and not fall in. It was simply breath taking. The clock had just hit three and the next train would leave around five.

Small shops filled the town, Gilbert spotted one that had a sign that read, "Wir verkaufen Spieluhren hausgemachten!" His eyes widened happily, a music box would be the perfect thing to get Lovino. One with a song that reminded him of falling snow or maybe a song with a nice story behind it?

"Hey Tonio, let's go in there." He said pointing to the small shop.

Inside the store was filled with little small boxes, none of which the same. One had written on it, "The Siege of Madrigal" He turned the key that was inside of it a few time and opened the lid. A saddening yet inspiring song came from inside. It was beautiful, but didn't remind him of any good time with Lovino. Though he still was going to buy it. The curious albino picked up another box and proceeded to repeat the task of turning the key and lifting the lid. This one was, "The Impossible Dream". The song drifted out softly and then grew in power, it was amazing. The song definitely reminded him of the young brunet Italian. It grew soft again only to crescendo into a forte.

Gilbert placed the two music boxes on the counter.

"Thirty-one Euros please." The cashier said. Gilbert pulled out the money and gave it to the man behind the counter. Smiling he left the shop, meeting Antonio outside. The Spaniard was waiting patently to go to the toy store that was across the street to get a stuffed animal for his Secret Santa. It was Matthew, the fifteen year old Canadian with a love for bears and maple.

Each stuffed toy had it's own feel to it. Antonio smiled when he saw an adorable bear with a silver ribbon around it's neck and a slightly confused look on it's face. Mattie would love it.

After Antonio payed and wandered out of the store the two brothers began to walk back to the station through the large crowds at the top of the hill where the sides were steep and the rails did not support weight. A man rushed by in a hurry accidentally knocking the young German teen over. At the bottom of the hill to the side with the support railings was a pond, the sign next to it said, "Dünnes Eis," on it. The rails didn't hold and the boy began to tumble down the hill.

He had managed to get a few scratches on the way down and landed hard on the ice. He tried to get up, but his arm was in too much pain to move. The ice began to crack as the fourteen year old boy weakly cried out for help. His ribs bruised from the impact. His body ached, everything was either in pain or numb.

The music boxes were at the top of the hill with Antonio, who was getting the aid of a police officer.

"Okay kid, we're coming down. Don't move a muscle."

**To be continued...**

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**A/N: I bet you guys know what's going to happen next...Seriously though, I can't make up my mind...Sad or cute end? Or maybe Sad but cute end?  
**

**Translations:**** Wir verkaufen Spieluhren hausgemachten - We sell homemade musicboxes**

**Dünnes Eis - Thin Ice**


	16. Help

**A/N: Hey guys, just another update, I think next chapter is the final one. Might not be though.**

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Chapter 15

Date: December 24th 1953

The ice beneath him had cracked when he hit, the frosty water reaching to his chest. His breathing was labored as the pain and cold seared through his body.

The officer had slowly began to scale down the hill, looking for not completely sloped spots to step on, as to not fall into the ice himself. Danger is a part of his job, but this was for the safety of both him and the boy whose life he was saving.

"H-help...Th-this is not aw-awesome..." Gilbert coughed, his body shaking.

The older German carefully reached his large hand out for the injured white haired boy to grab. The young man took a weak hold of the hand, shaking terribly. "Don't worry kid, you're going to be alright." The police officer's eyes widened as he saw the color of the boy's irises. This boy was the one his wife had convinced him to give up several years ago. The blond cop wanted to hug the teenager and say how much he had worried about him, but had to keep it together. This boy wouldn't want to see the bastard parent who abandoned him anyway. He doubted that he would be forgiven for that even though he had saved the child's life. Pulling the boy off of the ice and onto his back, he sighed.

Gilbert sneezed and then murmured, "Th-thanks...Mister..."

"No problem son, it's my job. Oh and by the way It's Blau, Adel Blau."

Back on the path, Antonio smiled worriedly, seeing his brother was safe. The albino grinned weakly and mumbled, "H-heh...I should have been looking where I've been goin', right Tonio? O-or maybe I should have learned to swim by now...Something like that, right?" He let out a small chuckle.

Antonio frowned, "Gilbo! This is not the time to be joking! You could've been seriously hurt! Hell, you could have died!" The younger, but taller and stronger boy helped his brother onto his feet, keeping an arm slung behind the other's neck. Gilbert winced but started to walk with the brunet. "Thanks Officer Blau, we owe you one. Thanks for saving my brother...I don't know what I would do without him."

The German in uniform sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "No problem kid, it's just my job. Merry Christmas boys, be safe..."

* * *

The moment they walked in through the door, Feliciano pounced them. Gilbert let out a pained sound as the Italian hugged him tightly. The boy pulled back, afraid that he had hurt his older brother. "Fratello? Are you okay..?" His high pitched voice was filled with worry.

Lovino's voice came from his room in a quick shout, "Gah! Feli! I'm fine dammit!"

The red haired boy smiled, "Not you Brother!"

"You should have specified then, Idiot!"

Antonio laughed, this is what they had become, a perfectly defective family that makes things work.

Gilbert grinned, "Love you too guys," his response was weak and his vision blurred, "Thanks for the concern Feli...b-but I'm fine..." He moved out off of Antonio's shoulder and tried to walk. An insanely loud noise rang through his ears. The platinum blond fell over after just four meters of stumbling down the hall. His eyes fogged over and mind blank, blood leaking from his left ear.

"Gil...? Gil? Oh god—Gilbert!" Antonio rushed over to his sibling and yelled, "Dad! Help!"

Leo dropped the dough he was mixing and ran to his children, "Oh my God...Drew!"

The braided blond sighed, "Yes?"

Leo's voice was frantic, "Call 911! Gilbert's hurt!"

**To be continued...**

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A/N: Tell me what you think please! xD Love ya!  
**


	17. Hospital

**A/N: Hey guys, I think I want to continue this, any objections? xD Maybe write a sequel? **

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Chapter 16

Date: December 25th, 1953

Several hours into the morning and the platinum blond boy had yet to wake from his comatose state. The doctors had carefully examined his body, finding two ribs cracked and a forearm broken. They had wrapped gauze over his injured left ear after cleaning the blood away. He was going to be fine once his fever had gone down and he recovered from his concussion. Though he wouldn't be able to hear with his damaged ear again.

Only one of the brothers had been able to stay awake beside Gilbert. It was Lovino, the normally hostile and bitter twelve year old had managed to stay standing, watching the "Stupid Pale Potato Bastard" that he always claimed to hate. The almost teen boy was mumbling to the albino, saying things like, "Be careful next time you bastard..." 'Next time', words like those were wishful thinking.

Lovino nearly jumped when his seemingly unconscious brother let out a low chuckle and hoarsely spoke, "...Heh...Who knew little tough guy Lovi actually cared for his awesome big brother..."

"What the hell? Shut up, it's not what it looks like you bastard!" The younger shouted indignantly.

The brunet's outburst managed to wake Drew and Ludwig, but strangely enough no one else had stirred.

"Quiet down..." Drew mumbled, trying to go back to sleep.

Ludwig sleepily glanced around the room, "Huh...? Is something the matter Lovino...?"

Gilbert smiled, his body hurt like hell and no sound came from his left, but his family always made things better, if not only slightly. Whether it be by accidental humor or purposely cracking jokes, it helped. "H-heya West...Guten Morgen..."

The young blond's eyes lit up, "Bruder! You're alright!"

"Got that right kiddo," He smirked, "My head hurts like hell though..." The crimson eyed boy glanced at his arm and muttered, "Mein Gott...What in the hell happened yesterday?" Scratching his head with his free hand. "I-it was yesterday...right..?"

Lovino was the one to respond this time, "Sì, fratello, tu dormivi solo per poche ore, non giorni o niente. Oh, e allegro jerk Natale. Just don't be a fool again..."

Gilbert grinned and laughed weakly, "Happy Holidays to you too, Lovi~! Hmm...How much longer do we have to stay here? I'm better now so we should go home!"

The young brunet frowned, "You need to get better dumbass and no, you are NOT better yet."

Ludwig spoke up, "Bruder...The doctor said you could go home when you woke up..." Thus causing Lovino to glare at the second youngest family member.

"Oh really? What if he passes out again? What then?" This time, he was able to wake Leo and Francis, the two other boys didn't even budge. Gilbert thought for a moment, _"How in the hell do they do that?"_, before saying something to the newly awoken people. "Merry Christmas~! Can we go home now...?"

Leo yawned and blinked a few times then exclaimed, "Gilly you're up already! And errr...Hey Drew, can we take him home? It's Christmas!"

Drew sighed, sure it was the holidays, but the albino just woke up from a coma for god's sake. "...Whatever Leon, just keep a close eye on him...And if this shit ever happens again, he's not leaving his room until he is perfectly better. I mean it too." His expression was a tired one that says, "Are you kidding me?".

Leonardo smiled, his lover could be so cute some times, "Okay then Kiddo's we're going home." He helped Gilbert out of the hospital bed. The kid had a slight limp, not much balance, but still seemed to walk cheerfully despite of all that.

**To be continued.(Possibly)**

**Translations**

Sì, fratello, tu dormivi solo per poche ore, non giorni o niente. Oh, e allegro jerk Natale. - Yes, brother, you were asleep for only a few hours, not days or anything. Oh and merry Christmas jerk. (Italian)


	18. Misunderstandings and Secrets

**A/N: Hey guys! I made a longer chapter this time and will be continuing this story for a while! xD I love all of you~!

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Chapter 17

Date: December 26th 1953

"Merry belated Christmas dudes!" Alfred shouted once he entered the gang's meeting place.

It was a tree house that Gilbert had built when he was ten, the Beilschmidt castle. A tree shack that was meant to be a gift for Ludwig, but the blond didn't care if his older siblings held meetings in it with their friends. The ceiling and walls were completely solid and water proof, making it the perfect place to wait out storms and just hang out.

He noticed Gilbert's cast and said, "What the? Gil, what did I say about being careful?"

The albino smirked at the question, "Never be. It's a waste of valuable time that could be your last moments breathing. Am I right, Al Capone?"

Alfred beamed at his pal's answer, ignoring the fact that the red-eyed boy had used his nickname, "That's absolutely correct, little red!"

Gilbert rolled his eyes, not too happy that the messy blond had reminded him that he was younger than the American. "Oh shut up you tourist..." He mumbled jokingly.

Everyone had shown up by now, so the gifts had all been placed on the table. Only the name of the recipient was on each package. The point of the secret Santa game was to guess who gave the gift.

The younger kids had gotten to pick up their gifts before the others so they wouldn't get hurt or shoved by the over excited teens. Feliciano opened his and found a paint brush, paint, and canvas. Fiona, now age 10, had received a copy of "The Lord of the Rings" and her normally calm expression turned into a giddy grin.

Ludwig shifted through the gifts, trying to find his. A high-pitched yipping noise came from a wooden crate that was being used as a makeshift table, a tag was tied to the edge of the cage. It read, 'Merry Christmas Ludwig! I heard you wanted a loyal companion, so here he is~! Take good care of little Gale, alright dude?' The blond with slicked back hair smiled brightly while opening the cage. A German Shepherd came bounding out, knocking Ludwig over and lapped at the boy's face. Ludwig laughed, trying to push the affectionate dog off of him.

Now that the slightly younger kids had gone, the larger part of the group had run up to rummage through the packages. Though, Adair and Finnick decided to stay put where they were. The teenagers, after finding their gifts, sat down in a circle.

"Okay, girls first! So Fiona, after you go please pick someone to go next." Alfred exclaimed, he would have loved to go first, but hey he'll live.

Fiona didn't even glance away from the page she was reading when she spoke, "Thanks Artie! Oh and Matt, you can go next." Arthur sighed, he should have gotten her something that wasn't so obvious.

Mathew smiled sheepishly and hugged his new teddy bear, "Uh...uhm...Gilly?" Gilbert merely shook his head, "Oh...um...Francis?"

"Non, mon cher Matthieu." Was all the rather tall French blond had said.

"O-oh...okay...I give up..." The Canadian said softly.

Antonio chuckled, "I can be observant too Mattie. Hope you like it."

"Th-thank you Tonio! Uhm..." The quiet boy bit his lip trying to pick who would go next, "...Ludwig, it's your turn."

Young Ludwig wasted no time, "Danke Alfred, Gale is awesome! Feli your turn." His smile never left his face.

"Ve~ Kiku goes next! Lovi~ Thanks a lot for the paint and brushes!" The shorter of the two ran over to hug his older brother, "I love it!" Lovino blushed halfheartedly returning the hug.

Kiku was holding the camera that he had just unwrapped, taking pictures of everyone with a small smile on his normally indifferent face. "Thank you, Matthew-kun. Your turn Arthur-san."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the bike that he had gotten as a gift. He couldn't ride one, never tried, but had little balance and no desire to learn. Whoever had gotten him this was being a pushy bastard. He knew which of his siblings had gotten him it, the very one who had chose him to go next. "Thank you for the...Bicycle, Kiku..." His eye twitched as he spoke, "Lovino your turn."

The Italian preteen took unwrapped the box carefully, his paranoia showing through. After the paper had been removed from the box, he looked at it, "A chest..? ...The Impossible dream...? What the fuck?" He turned the wooden object around, it had a key in the back. The brunet turned the key around a few times before opening the lid. Inside there was a thin layer of glass covering the cogs and gears as they spun slowly, creating noise, or more precisely music.

His birth brother smiled, "Ve~! What a pretty song Fratello..."

Wait, someone knew that he loved to sing, and that this song was one of his favorites. So legato, it was beautiful. He knew the words to it too. It almost made him smile, but he started thinking and his paranoia took over and he took on a stressed expression. His voice was agitated as he spoke, "Who the hell bought this?"

Gilbert frowned, he picked a bad gift hadn't he? He mumbled, "Merry fucking Christmas, jackass." The albino got up and rushed out of the door and down the ladder, clearly pissed. He didn't stop there either, he stormed down the street and kept walking, not caring where he went as long as it was not home.

**To be continued~!**


	19. Not a Nature Lover

**A/N: Heya my awesome readers! If you made it this far I commend you~! **

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Chapter 18

Date: December 26th 1953

All was silent after Gilbert left, several glares were directed toward Lovino. His feigned anger turned to confusion after watching his albino sibling ditch them. It was his fault, he should have been filled with joy at the gift, even Arthur had at least pretended to be happy.

Ludwig frowned, his brother had just gotten out of the hospital yesterday, he isn't stable. The younger German got up and followed the path his brother had left. His new companion to his left, happily wagging his tail whilst sticking close to his master.

* * *

Gilbert sighed, maybe he had just overreacted. It's not like Lovino knew that he had been the one who got him the gift, plus that was the Italian's normal reaction to getting something he liked. Angry and stubborn. Like always.

He turned and looked around, he had wandered through the woods for an hour or two not caring where he went. Now he was regretting this. He was lost.

"Where the hell? Mein Gott...That's a whole lot of trees..." His crimson eyes scanned the surrounding area for a trace of civilization. No luck. "Is there at least a river around here?" Surely enough there was a small stream running through the forest, probably leading to some sort of human life. Maybe a place to stay if not. "Water leads to life...right? Oh Gott..." He let out a sad laugh, "I'm fucked, aren't I?" The shorter than normal teenager asked the seemingly empty forest that surrounded him. His voice echoed then fell flat, no answer came.

* * *

Around curfew Ludwig stumbled in through the front door, his dog bounded in after him, no red eyed boy behind them. The blond's eyes drooping and cheeks flushed, either he had been crying recently or it had gotten colder outside. Antonio spoke up, "Hey Lui, sometimes Gil just needs a day out of the house, he'll be back soon, I promise. Where'd ya check anyway?"

Ludwig plopped down onto a chair, his face in a downward glance. "...I don't believe you...Even if you knew Bruder longer than I have...You're wrong...I looked everywhere..."

"What's your problem Potato Bastard Number Two? It's not like Gilbe—I mean the potato moron is going to do something as stupid as runaway-" The brown eyed Italian paused, his eyes widening. The idiot would do exactly that. He did it years ago, he would do it again. His palm hit his head, "...Just like the old days...This isn't good..."

The front door swung open making several heads turn in that direction. It was Leonardo. Not too big of a surprise, he worked late and would come home just after the sun had set pretty much every day. They didn't normally pay attention to his entrance, so the group of eyes tracking his every movement made the older Italian very uncomfortable. As he hung up his jacket, he finally asked, "What's got you boys on edge?" His eyes scanned the room, everything seemed to be in place, except there was the absence of a certain awesome platinum blond. He raised a brown eyebrow and spoke, "Gilbo in bed already..?" Leo felt pestering ache in the back of his head that told him something was wrong. The kids gave no response.

A loud clap of thunder caused Gale to whine. The hard tapping sound of rain hitting the roof made the eyes of each child and teenager to widen. Their brother was caught out in a storm. All by himself.

**To be continued.**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for such a short chapter, I kinda got writer's block for a few days. **


	20. Lies and the Swiss

**A/N: Sorry for the short and late chapter, intensive writers block and such...So yeah...Read on! **

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Chapter 19

Date: December 26th 1953

A quick bolt of lightning illuminated the sky as Gilbert ran alongside the river. Rain fell in heavy sheets, soaking Gilbert thoroughly. The rumbling overhead terrified him. Flickering lights guided him through the dark, up ahead was the city. His legs frantically moved, pushing him forward. The rain was chilling, numbing Gilbert's body.

He didn't give a damn about who lived in the city, as long as it was there. He had heard stories about people who became delirious because of hypothermia. The poor hysterical bastards would wander around for days until their bodies collapsed. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case. He was pulled from that thought as he stumbled over a large rock.

As he floundered forward, trying not to fall completely, a car zoomed towards him. Gilbert's eyes widened and his body stiffened at the light and sound that was coming at him. The medium sized vehicle honked loudly as it wheels forced a screeching, abrupt halt, splashing water every which way. The door swung open, a spew of curses were shouted from inside. An angry teen with shaggy blond hair jumped out of the dark colored automobile. He was the source of the cursing. An irritated Swiss youth.

"Was zum Teufel? Are you a fucking moron? Get the fuck off of the road!" Unfortunately for the cranky blond, his shouts were lost on the younger teen. The albino just stood there, staring blindly into the headlights of the Volkswagen Beetle infront of him. Never moving, barely even blinking. This did not go unnoticed by the disgruntled young man, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

No response.

The cold rain continued to pierce through bare skin like daggers. Gilbert swayed towards the angry sixteen year old to his side. "Where am I?" He asked, his pale lips a light blue.

The blond sighed, "Die Schweizer Grenze. Where the hell are you going at this time of the night? A runt like you could get killed." Despite his words, the Swiss boy was shorter than Gilbert.

After a long silence, the blond spoke up again. "Need a ride? My name is Vash by the way."

* * *

Leonardo sauntered about, the uneasy feeling still stuck in the bottom of his gut. He wasn't the best at reading the situation, so he couldn't tell that the looks on his childrens' faces meant that something bad had happened. Slowly he pushed Gilbert's bedroom door open. Inside almost everything was empty of life, except for the albino's pet bird that chirped angrily at the intruder. No snoring boy on the couch below the loft, no soft, sleepy mumbling, and no irritated groan. Gilbert isn't here.

"Hey boys, is Gilbo staying with Mattie and Al for the night?"

Antonio and Francis beamed up, faking enthusiasm. "Of course! He's sleeping at their place for a little while." Francis said smoothly. His lie wouldn't be caught, this gave them time to find Gilbert without getting him in trouble.

"Oh, okay. That's good. Well...Maybe I should call...Gil just got out of the hospital and all..." Leonardo mumbled, walking towards the phone.

"N-no! They're at the theater right now and and and and-" Antonio stuttered loudly, thus earning a quick jab to the side from Francis.

While Antonio recovered from the strike, Francis took over. "And the Headmaster of the school would be wondering where they are. If you called and they weren't there and all."

**To be continued...(If I get over my writer's block that is. R&R)**

Translation:

Die Schweizer Grenze - The Swiss Border.

Was zum Teufel - What the hell? 


End file.
